Northeastern’s Black Athlete Caucus visits SSYP's teen program
/By Erika Matthews, Mass Promise Fellow
On Thursday, February 25th, a panel of athletes from Northeastern’s Black Athlete Caucus (NUBAC) joined St. Stephen’s Virtual Teen program to share the challenges and rewards of attending university as Division One athletes and their experiences navigating that space as Black athletes. NUBAC grew from Black students’ dreams of amplifying their voices on campus and pursuing meaningful representation in Northeastern’s Athletic Department. In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, Black students banded together to create a space to promote social change and allow for students, faculty, and administration to have difficult conversations around race, representation, and equity while fostering impactful change in their community.
NUBAC features athletes from a variety of Northeastern’s sports teams including Men and Women’s Basketball, Men’s Baseball, Men’s Rowing, Men and Women’s Track and Field, and more. Students at St. Stephen’s were rapt with awe as athletes shared their personal triumphs and setbacks, laughed as athletes recounted anecdotes about their college experience, and asked questions about what they could expect were they to become future Northeastern University students. Panelists shared valuable insights on offerings like the Cooperative Education program that set Northeastern apart from other universities.
The dedication NUBAC athletes have towards building community bonds with organizations like St. Stephen’s through inspiring youth is admirable, and hearing these athlete’s passion and resilience inspired youth in our program to continue striving towards achieving their dreams despite setbacks.